Art from the cancelled Black Panther comic series, Invasion of Wakanda, has revealed what fans missed. As a result of various conflicts including the pandemic, the series never came to fruition in 2020. However, the creative team seems to have gotten as far as creating a cover for the third issue. Now that it has been included in the Empyre Omnibus, fans can finally get a glimpse at what was intended to come over a year ago.
At the time of its inception, Invasion of Wakanda was set to be an Empyre crossover ever. Although some work had been created by the team attached, it would never see the light of day. In a tweet, writer Jim Zub reminisced about the cancelled project, thinking it would be the creative team’s “swansong.” The series was based on the idea that T’Challa might carry too many responsibilities, considering his Avengers status, his role in the Agents of Wakanda, and his Kingship over Wakanda, among others. It was just a matter of time before something interrupted his life, and caused it to implode. Zub thought the premise was instantly relatable, falling in line with other Marvel heroes’ struggles like Spider-Man. Despite the series’ premature cancellation, artwork had been finalized.
In a tweet by artist and writer Dustin Weaver, he revealed the cover for Invasion of Wakanda #3, depicting Black Panther in an epic duel with Okoye. The shocking cover raises intrigue as the two citizens of Wakanda aren’t known to go up against each other. The art even suggests that Okoye has the upper hand, nearly besting T’Challa AKA Black Panther.
The series had been set to incorporate a large cast alongside T’Challa and Okoye, including the Wasp, Mockingbird, Man-Wolf, Gorilla-Man, Roz Solomon, Fat Cobra, Za-Kar, Broo, and American Eagle. The wide range of characters had made for an ambitious crossover event, making the original missed opportunity even more unfortunate as it offered up several interesting new dynamics.
Now collected in the Empyre Omnibus, readers can have more than just an idea as to what the event was intended to be. Out of context, the fight between T’Challa and Okoye calls back to some of the most dramatic battles that Black Panther has ever faced. While the series was meant to keep things relatively low stakes and close to home for T’Challa’s personal struggles, it seems a civil war within Wakanda caused Black Panther to have one of the most epic confrontations yet.
Source: Twitter